CBCP to Pinoy Catholics: Take time to deepen understanding of peace this Easter

The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) on Easter Sunday urged Filipino Catholics to take time to deepen their understanding of peace this Easter Season amid the ongoing conflicts around the world.

“[I]t is so sad that in the midst of this celebration, this Easter season, we experience war in Ukraine and Russia, Israel, US against Iran, Myanmar, Yemen, Sudan, or maybe we say it's also conflict within the family or maybe in communities,” CBCP President Archbishop Gilbert Garcera of Lipa said in his Easter message.

“So the spirit of Easter Sunday must be a moment for us to deepen our understanding of the gift of Jesus to us, which is peace,” he added.

Echoing Pope Leo XIV’s Easter message, Garcera said peace must be unarmed, disarming, humble, and preserving.

“[A]s we celebrate today, Easter Sunday. Let there be peace in our hearts and in our community,” the prelate said.

During the night vigil Mass in St. Peter's Basilica, Pope Leo XIV urged people not to feel numbed by the scope of the conflicts raging across the world but to work for peace.

He said mistrust and fear have been allowed to "sever the bonds between us through war, injustice and the isolation of peoples and nations."

"Let us not allow ourselves to be paralyzed!" said the first US pope, who has emerged as an outspoken critic of the Iran war.

The ongoing conflict in the Middle East began on February 28, 2026, when the United States and Israel launched coordinated military strikes against Iran, triggering retaliation from Iranian forces.

This resulted in over 3,000 deaths within a month and consecutive oil price hikes in several countries, as the war disrupted the shipment of petroleum products through the Strait of Hormuz, which is considered one of the world’s most crucial oil export routes.

Beginning on Palm Sunday and concluding on Easter Sunday, the Holy Week is the time to commemorate the passion, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ

Meanwhile, the Paschal Triduum or Easter Triduum refers to the last three days of Holy Week, which are Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and Easter Sunday.

READ: How dates for Easter Sunday and Holy Week are determined each year

Commemorating the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the Apostles, and is often considered the birth of the Catholic Church, Pentecost Sunday concludes the 50-day Easter Season.